Jerry Uelsmann + Maggie Taylor

April 3 – May 31

Curatorial Statement

Jerry Uelsmann, a seminal figure in modern photography, is known for playfully pushing on the boundaries of the medium. Beginning in the 1960’s with his nearly magical darkroom processes, he cracked open a small door to the unknown. The view through this door is a dense, imaginative space, for both the viewers and for the for photographic artists who have followed him. The current exhibit at Pictura Gallery draws from an extensive collection of photographs which still grows as Uelsmann continues to construct new darkroom prints, some of which are featured in this exhibition.

Maggie Taylor works with digital photography and collage to make fanciful imagery that transports us to worlds of whimsy. She uses a collection of scanned objects to construct a completely invented reality. Much like Uelsmann, Taylor has been a pioneer in the medium of photography. She uses the tools of image-making in unexpected ways to reformulate our definition of photography. In particular, Taylor presents a new kind of portraiture, one where the figure is an amalgamation of real parts to make a fictitious whole.

Pictura is pleased to exhibit these two artists together. Maggie Taylor and Jerry Uelsmann are married, and so it is interesting to wonder how they may have influenced one another’s artistic trajectories over the years. Although completely different in tone and technique, both artists have overlapping themes and sensibilities, making a double viewing an enriching context in which to consider their prints. This particular exhibition is focused on Uelsmann’s landscapes and Taylor’s portraiture. Whether or not a person is included in the image, human presence is a strong compass point for both artists.

An image by Taylor depicts a seated woman, fading from sight, catching a swirl of papers with a butterfly net. One of Uelsmann’s newer works features a similar cloud of papers rising above the horizon. One can imagine these pieces of paper floating between the two minds and between their imaginary worlds. There are certainly new discoveries to be made in viewing both bodies of work at once, and new intimacies revealed.

Jerry Uelsmann

Born in Detroit on June 11, 1934, Jerry Uelsmann received his B.F.A. degree at the Rochester ...

Recent Exhibits

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